Easier said than done.
After a long soak in the saltwater tub, I felt a bit more like myself. I’d gone round and round the situation in my mind, and I’d decided I could just pretend we were friends who had gotten carried away.Goodfriends. Affectionate friends. But still, friends. And if I thought of him as nothing but a friend, I might not stammer and blush every time I looked at him.
Still, when I stepped into the living room after brushing out my hair and donning a violet silk dress with a slit to my mid-thigh, I was almost struck speechless by the sight of him. He wore a finely tailored tunic with looping silver threads forming an intricate elven pattern along the V-neck collar, which also had the added effect of exhibiting his chiseled physique. Wet strands of his hair curled around his tipped ears, and droplets of water clung to his skin. He must have taken a bath after I did, while I was getting dressed. The idea of him naked in the tub only moments after I had been…
His eyes heated as he stared at me. “You look beautiful.”
“I…” I looked down at the ground.
“I see. Are you ready to go? I want to get this spectacularly boring evening over with,” he said curtly, dousing any hope we might regain our footing here.
“Rivelin.”
“Daella.”
I blew out a breath. “Can we…start acting normal again?”
“Are we not acting normal?”
“You’re being a bit of a grump.”
That had been the wrong thing to say. His expression darkened almost instantly. “This is who I am. Is that a problem?”
I sighed. “Thank you for the compliment. You look nice, too.”
“You’re welcome. For the compliment and the sex, though it appears you’d like neither of those things from me.”
“Is that what this is? You regret last night?”
He raised his brow. “You tell me.”
“No.” I crossed the room to stand before him and almost instantly wanted to take it back. Not because I wanted to avoid him, or because I regretted anything at all. But because being near him made my nerves tangle in my belly. It was hard to think straight around him. “I’ve never done this before. Couldn’t you tell last night?”
The corners of his lips tipped up. “Are you telling me I’m the only man who has ever explored those exceptional curves?”
I let out a nervous laugh. “Don’t get cocky.”
“No, I couldn’t tell.” He tucked a wayward strand of hair behind my ear and brushed his lips across mine. “You were incredible.”
I fisted his tunic in my hands and tugged him closer, relishing in the feel of his skin against mine and the rising steam that never failed to burn between us. I could get lost in that kiss, could forget about the Midsummer Games and spend the rest of the night exploring every inch of his skin.
But not now. Tonight’s festivities were far too important to miss.
He groaned as he pulled back, a sound that sent a delicious thrill down my spine. “Keep this moment in mind. We’ll revisit it when we get home tonight.”
My heart pounded. “I hope that’s a promise.”
He tucked a finger beneath my chin. “Oh, it most certainly is.”
* * *
In the hills just beyond the village, spectators had sprawled across the grass on checkered blankets, and several tables had been carried over from the square. The caravans and stalls had followed, including Lilia’s Traveling Tavern where the atmosphere had taken on a very boisterous nature. Booming laughter drifted on the light wind that rustled the flowing skirt around my legs. Beside me, Rivelin carried the majestic dragon sculpture he’d been toiling over for the past several days. I’d helped as best I could with the larger pieces of the structure—the tail and the head—but the delicate, artistic wings and teeth had needed a practiced hand.
Severaloohsandahhsfollowed us as we approached the stage, where the others were already waiting. Gregor was nowhere to be seen, of course, though that did little to calm the pit of nerves in my stomach. He would be angrier than ever now, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he retaliated. Tonight would be the perfect moment to make his move against us, smashing Rivelin’s dragon into broken bits.
Hofsa nodded from where she stood overseeing the festival as Rivelin gently set the dragon atop the stage. Down the row, I could see what the others had created for this night. Beside us, Godfrey had created elegant candles in various pastel shades. Further down the row, Hege, the dwarf, had a plate of grilled fish. She’d gone with an interesting take on the fire theme, though not one I would have chosen myself.
Now that we were down to only four contestants, there was only one other left on the far end, and from what I could see, no item had been delivered to the stage just yet. Viggo, the winner of the previous challenge, stood there quietly beside his assistant, his red hands folded in front of him.
